Manchester , New Hampshire -LRB- CNN -RRB- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dominates almost any room he enters but is suddenly facing questions about his relevance in the 2016 presidential race .

The surprisingly fast-moving Republican presidential contest , kicked off by Jeb Bush shortly after the New Year and accelerated by the unexpected re-emergence of Mitt Romney , is putting pressure on Christie , who was once the Republican establishment 's favorite .

The big-check GOP contributors that were once assumed to be Christie 's for the taking -- in particular the Wall Street financiers just across the Hudson River from New Jersey -- are now being courted aggressively by Bush and Romney as they ramp up their campaigns .

`` There is big advantage to moving first , and when you 're a whale like both Jeb and Romney are , and you jump into that pool first , its hard for anyone else to squeeze in , '' said B. Wayne Hughes , a California billionaire and Republican donor who has not committed to supporting a candidate . `` They have the same donor base , so they have to go after those guys . ''

Bush has been a well-liked figure in the center-right donor set for years , thanks to his widespread family connections and the perks and ambassadorships doled out by two previous Bush White Houses . The former Florida governor has also been a champion of immigration reform , a precious issue for the business community and Republicans who want to grow the party 's appeal among Hispanics , even as conservatives bristle at the idea .

Romney , meanwhile , built an impressive financial network during his 2012 campaign , and many of those donors are waiting to see what he does before committing to another candidate . His surprising decision last week at a New York donor meeting to `` show some 2016 leg , '' as one attendee put it , was designed to keep Bush at bay as he mulls a third presidential bid .

But their moves are also complicating things for Christie , who is still expected to launch a presidential bid but is moving at a much slower place than Bush or Romney . All three Republicans will be competing for a similar slice of establishment-friendly financial backers and voters should they each seek the GOP nomination .

Christie , already hamstrung on fundraising by strict pay-to-play laws that prohibit Wall Street employees from from contributing to governors seeking federal office , was further diminished in the eyes of some donors last year by the `` Bridgegate '' scandal and its subsequent investigations . Christie 's record as governor has also been met with some skepticism by the business community : New Jersey has seen eight credit downgrades and continues to have some of the highest taxes in the country .

His fading star opened the door last year for Bush to start making calls to potential supporters who might have previously been with with Christie .

Christie 's team insists the Romney and Bush developments have had little bearing on his decision-making process -- or his ability to fund a potential campaign .

`` The last couple of weeks actually had no impact , '' said one Christie confidante , granted anonymity to discuss the 2016 machinations with some candor . `` He is not changing his plans . He is not moving up any schedule . He is attending a bunch of inaugurals . He has a bunch of speeches coming up . He feels he is in good position and he feels like he has time to decide to want to do more . ''

The adviser pointed out that Christie is fresh off an impressive tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association , a post that put him in regular touch with some of the party 's biggest contributors . He remains on the RGA 's executive committee , and plans to connect with many of the same donors at February gathering of the RGA in Washington .

No candidate -- even ones with the names Bush and Romney -- can take the donor world for granted , the Christie adviser insisted .

`` I think all three of them , Romney , Bush , Gov. Christie , have a leg up on donor world , '' the source said . `` But you take those people for granted at your own peril . Everybody will be courting those folks , but I think the smart folks will take their time . ''

To most Americans , the donor courtship now underway is hidden from view and largely meaningless .

But in the early stages of a presidential primary , the whims of big donors have outsized importance , especially in a post-Citizens United world where a single rich person can prop up a candidate with a well-funded super PAC . As the costs of running a presidential campaign skyrocket , landing the support of a major bundler can bring instant credibility to a candidate even before the campaign begins in earnest .

Early signals indicate that Christie might not be hard up for cash should he decide to run . Already he has secured the backing of Texas bundler Ray Washburne , a recently-departed Republican National Committee finance chairman , two GOP sources confirmed to CNN . And The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Ken Langone , the Home Depot founder and prominent Republican donor , is organizing a dinner for Christie and potential supporters in New York later this month .

Once the donor primary ends and the actual primary begins , Christie may be on better footing in a race against Bush and Romney .

`` There is room in the primary for anyone who has enough resources , '' said Tom Rath , a longtime New Hampshire power broker and Romney ally . `` Look , it 's a little different talking about how you connect with voters , and it 's another story talking about how you connect with the large scale fundraisers . But the fact is , New Hampshire will give every candidate a fair shot . There is not home court advantage here for anyone at all . ''

Though both of Christie 's potential rivals in the establishment lane have big networks and deep experience in national politics , both of them are older than than the 52-year old Christie . Romney is 67 and Bush is 61 , and both could be tagged as stale emblems of the past .

Christie , too , is a natural retail campaigner and perhaps the best political performer of anyone in the Republican field . The contrast could be stark against the buttoned-up , bespectacled Bush and the notoriously awkward Romney .

`` He is kind of a hell-raiser , and nobody is going to say that about Jeb Bush or Mitt Romney , '' said Leighton Lord , a South Carolina attorney who hosted a reception for Christie in the early primary state this week . `` He is not like a lot of the other folks that are running that are more cautious and calculating . Folks are getting tired of that . They like his authenticity , which he has got all day long . That 's sort of a counter to Romney . With Romney , you 're never sure if you 're getting the real Mitt Romney or the Romney he thinks you want . ''

Though he 's been slower than Bush or Romney when it comes to hiring staff and building out a campaign , Christie is still looking and sounding very much like a candidate-in-waiting . He is likely to launch a political action committee in the coming weeks , multiple GOP sources said , and he is heading to a big conservative gathering in Iowa after this week 's excursion to South Carolina .

Christie can afford to wait longer than other candidates , his supporters said , in part because of his fame . He does n't need to introduce himself to voters in the way Bush will , for instance .

`` So much of politics these days is celebrity , '' Lord said . `` We have got to find somebody who has the substance and the integrity , but is also a celebrity . And Chris has got that . ''

In South Carolina , where he attended the inauguration of Gov. Nikki Haley , Christie posed for selfies with top elected officials , including the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General , before dropping by a crowded GOP meet-and-greet arranged by Lord and other Republicans . The reception was a positive one .

Christie 's speech to the audience was `` short on conservative red meat , but long on how he 's the guy that can win , '' said one Republican who attended the afternoon session , held at a Columbia law firm .

`` He said something to the effect of , ` Today is Nikki Haley 's day , but maybe it will be Chris Christie 's day in South Carolina soon , '' the source told CNN . `` You could n't walk away from that thinking anything other than he 's going to run . ''

After the event , Matt Moore , the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party , posted photos of the event on Facebook .

`` My honor to introduce Chris Christie in South Carolina today , '' he wrote . `` The man tells it like it is ... we like that in S.C. ! ''

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Chris Christie was once the Republican establishment 's favorite heading into 2016

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But he could face challenges if Romney and Bush enter the race